Art Prize 2025
The 3nd Trades Hall Arts Prize is now open for entries - opening night 1st October.
The Trades Hall Art Prize seeks to support the arts, workers, arts-workers, art by workers and art about working life. An annual Arts Prize, hosted in Paddy’s Gallery.
This prize is intended to support artists as workers and to appropriately compensate artists of all experience levels and backgrounds - you don't have to be a full-time artist to enter. Art is for everyone.
Create Against the Machine
The theme of this year's prize is Create Against the Machine.
From the “Saboteurs” jamming up machinery with wooden clogs and “Luddites” opposing mechanisation of skilled work, to “mouse jiggers” today, we invite artists to explore themes of worker surveillance, control, automation and resistance.
Artists are invited to create work in any medium exploring themes of workplace-surveillance, technological change and worker resistance, throughout history and today.
All artists - professional, emerging and beginner - are invited to create work and submit it to the prize. 10 artworks will be selected to be exhibited in Paddy’s Gallery as part on Melbourne Fringe Festival in October and into November.
The winning artist will take home $5,000 and the piece will become part of Trades Hall’s permanent collection.
The 9 other finalists will receive $750 for their entry and loaning of their piece for the duration of the exhibition.
There is no limitation - use which every medium you like, it just needs to fit in Paddy’s Gallery.
Artists may enter their artwork via this form:
2025 Timeline:
3 June - Entries open.
1 September - Entries close.
8 September - Successful 10 artists notified.
9-23 September - Sucessful artists to deliever their work to Trades Hall.
1 October - Opening night at Paddy's Gallery, winner announced.
Terms and Conditions
Trades Hall Art Prize – Terms and Conditions
Theme: Create Against the Machine
Organised by the Victorian Trades Hall Council
1. Overview
The Trades Hall Art Prize is a curated exhibition featuring ten selected artists whose work explores themes of surveillance, algorithmic decision-making, and AI in the workplace. One winner will be awarded a $5,000 acquisitive prize. All selected artists will receive a $750 honorarium.
2. Key Dates
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Entries Close: 1 September
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Finalists Notified: 8 September
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Artists to deliver work to Trades Hall: 9-23 September
- Exhibition Dates: 1 October - 10 November
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Winner Announced/Opening event: 1 October
- Artists to pick up works: 10 - 21 November
3. Eligibility
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Open to artists residing in Australia.
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Work must be original and created by the submitting artist.
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All mediums are eligible, provided the work can be safely exhibited.
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Collaborative works are permitted, with prize money to be split equally unless otherwise agreed in writing by all collaborators.
4. Selection and Exhibition
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Ten (10) artists will be selected by a curatorial panel.
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All selected works must be delivered exhibition-ready.
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Selected works will be exhibited at Victorian Trades Hall, Carlton, Victoria in Paddy's Gallery.
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The exhibition space is non-commercial and primarily accessible to a public audience including workers and union members, although works can be set up for purchase if arranged with Trades Hall.
5. Awards
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One (1) Winner will receive a $5,000 acquisitive prize.
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The remaining nine (9) selected artists will each receive a $750 participation fee for exhibiting and loaning their work.
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The winning artwork becomes the property of the Victorian Trades Hall Council and will be retained in its permanent collection.
6. Artist Fees and Loan Period
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The $750 fee covers both participation and the loan of the work for the exhibition period.
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Non-winning works will be collected by artists at the conclusion of the exhibition.
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Artists are responsible for delivery and collection of their work, unless alternative arrangements are made in writing.
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All efforts will be made to care for artworks, but insurance remains the responsibility of the artist.
7. Copyright and Reproduction
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Artists retain copyright of all submitted and exhibited works.
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By entering, artists grant Victorian Trades Hall Council the right to reproduce images of their work for promotional, archival, and educational purposes, including media, print, and digital platforms, with full credit to the artist.
8. Submission Requirements
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Completed entry form.
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Images or video of the work.
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Artist statement and artwork description.
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All files must be received by the submission deadline.
9. Judging
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Finalists and the winner will be selected by an independent panel of artists, curators, and trade union representatives.
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The panel’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
10. Agreement
By submitting an entry, artists acknowledge they have read, understood, and agreed to these terms and conditions.
